BET Sunday Best Season IV finalists Andrea Helms (left) and Amber Bullock (right).

Quickly becoming one of America’s favorite new voices and one of Gospel music’s most underrated talents, Amber Bullock just took home the grand prize on Sunday evening’s two-hour, star-studded finale of the hit singing competition and worldwide franchise BET Sunday Best. Now headed toward it’s fifth consecutive season, the show takes the world’s best, brightest and unheard of voices in Gospel music and gives them the platform to sing everything from the classics to the contemporary tunes heard around the globe.

Tonight’s finale wouldn’t have been entirely complete without a plethora of guest appearances, special performances, musical tributes and on-air surprises. Opening the show with a bang, urban Gospel’s Lecrae gave the show street credibility with his current brand of “Holy Hip Hop.” Also appearing on stage were all three of the Sunday Best prior seasons’ winners – Crystal Aikin (Season I), Y’Anna Crawley (Season II) & LeAndria Johnson (Season III) – each of whom took on the massive musical tribute in the form of a stellar medley honoring Mahalia Jackson’s legacy. Following the new leading ladies of Gospel were legends Pastor Shirley Caesar plus Rance Allen & The Rance Allen Group. Former BET Sunday Best judge Yolanda Adams premiered her new single from her long-awaited new project and both VaShawn Mitchell and Trinitee 5:7 duo Chanel & Angel also performed. Surprise guest Angie Stone (R&B/soul singer/songwriter) was also given the mic for a brief moment to perform her hit “Brotha” dedicated to men of color everywhere.

Now, in the two-hour runtime of the Season IV finale, we really only heard Amber Bullock and runner-up Andrea Helms (37, of Dallas, TX) sing “live” three times before the end of the show. Each performed a medley of perfectly arranged songs of praise and worship. Early into Bullock’s opening set, which included the new worship anthem “How Great is Our God” and a stunning rendition of Kurt Carr’s choir classic “For Every Mountain,” many knew the competition was officially over. Helms’ featured set was full of the anointing as well, with “Because of Who You Are” and “The Heavens are Telling” shining throughout the medley. Coming together for one of the season’s only featured duets, the ladies gave an awesome acoustic and sonically superb performance of the contemporary Gospel hit “Moving Forward.”

Just before the big announcement came introspective interview segments featuring the touching testimony from LeAndria Johnson who later premiered the new single “Jesus” from her debut album “The Awakening of LeAndria Johnson” (in stores now). If you missed the interview, the testimony and the live performance, trust us when we say it ministered to millions and let us all know that even when we fall short of the glory of God, redemption and forgiveness is still possible even for those we lay claim to be “stars.”

BET Sunday Best judges (from left) Donnie McClurkin, Kirk Franklin (host) and Tina & Erica Campbell (of MaryMary).

As for the big moment when Amber Bullock was announced as the winner, we were reminded once again of the prizes including a national recording contract with Music World Gospel, a cash prize and a brand new Ford Explorer – North America’s car of the year. Congratulations once again to our new winner Amber Bullock (we can’t wait to hear your debut album) and to the other contestants who brought their “Sunday Best” all season long! See you next year!

So now that you know who the winner is, we’ve got a few questions to ask you.

• Did you vote at any point during Season IV of BET Sunday Best? If so, when and for whom? If not, why?
• Are you satisfied with the winner/finalists results?
• What was your favorite moment on the big finale show?
• Were you following BET Sunday Best on Twitter or Facebook during the show at any point for live commentary & fan updates?
• What did you think of this year’s surprise guests – Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Chrisette Michele, Kierra Sheard, Smokie Norful, etc.?
• What would you do differently in Season V?
• Will you or have you auditioned for the show?
• Do you plan to purchase or have you purchased any of the BET Sunday Best winners’ albums, including the forthcoming release from this year’s winner Amber Bullock?

Feel free to share your thoughts on any or all of these hot topics related to the BET Sunday Best show, finale and winners. Do so below on the message board using your Twitter or Facebook profile to log in and leave us a comment to get the discussions started.

OFFICIAL RELATED LINKS:

BET Sunday Best – Official Website

Follow Amber Bullock on Twitter – @singamber (click image or link)

Follow BET Sunday Best on Twitter – @BETSundayBest (click image or link)

MORE RELATED LINKS:

BET Sunday Best Finale Falls on September 11th Tenth Anniversary

St. Louis Singer Amber Bullock Wins “Sunday Best” Contest

MaryMary Responds to Fans Concerning Cancellation of BET Sunday Best

Faith Evans, Kelly Price & Jessica Reedy Sing of a ‘Troubled World” on New Single

Light Records Signs “Sunday Best” Runner-up Jessica Reedy

Y’Anna Crawley on What Inspires Her to Sing (Exclusive Interview)

Y’Anna Crawley Making Moves Since “Sunday Best”

BET Sunday Best in Full Swing

BET SUNDAY BEST SEASON IV – EXCLUSIVES

The Voting Episode

Go behind the scenes with BET.com media sensation TorrenceG as he gets the scoop on the show from this year’s finalists, a few gospel legends and one gospel singer whom he predicts would win if she ever auditioned for the show.

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Mary Mary stopped into the Radio Room at the 2011 BET Awards the day before the LIVE show and talked to Baltimore’s Konan about their upcoming projects and more. Now if you know Konan like I know Konan, you know that once the cameras roll, expect the unexpected! The interview was going as normal as it could go when all of a sudden Konan asked “when did you have your last argument/fight?” Watch what happened next. You can’t help but to love and admire their sheer honesty. That’s why I love Mary Mary!

Mary Mary Responds to Fans About Cancellation of BET’s Sunday Best

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The fans had alot to ask and the Marys had even more to say. We had a great time in chat with Mary Mary and their fans from all over the world. Filled with comments and questions (that were coming in at a super fast pace) about everything from their hairstyles, to their new music, to their writing process and everything in between. Trust us when we say, it’s absolutely hilarious and refreshing to see two of gospel’s most beloved vocalists literally let their hair down and let it all hang out while having fun making great music.

One of the fans asked a question of the girls to find out if they were going to be doing Sunday Best again this year. We expected to hear details of the new season of the hit BET singing competition which has launched the careers of gospel superstars such as Crystal Aikin, Shari Addison, Y’Anna Crawley, Jessica Reedy and quite a few others.

Instead, Mary Mary said that BET would not be bringing Sunday Best back. (Cue collective gasp.)

We’ll let them give you the news if you haven’t heard yet. You can see the entire Mary Mary chat video below. They mention Sunday Best after they got into details of the new record and a few hilarious moments along the way so be sure to watch the entire video. Let us know what you think about Sunday Best being cancelled. Are you upset or did you not care for it anyway?

Also, are you excited about the return of Mary Mary? Let us know how you feel about that one, too.

MARY MARY EXCLUSIVE LIVE FAN CHAT

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Quite a few contestants were victims of the devastation still lingering around after Hurricane Katrina swept through the city back in August 2005, but they didn’t allow that to keep them from raising their voices. Take the first contestant Chelsea Phillips for example. Having to take residence at the New Orleans Convention Center after the hurricane a few years ago, Phillips and show host Kirk Franklin shared an emotional moment while thanking God for bring her experience full circle back to the very place she’d never thought would’ve occurred. Now if only her voice had been as strong as her testimony. Phillips’ nerves caught up with her and eliminated her potential slot as a finalist early in the process.

Moving on. As expected, there were many singing survivors and folks with even more moving testimonies to come through the audition room. One of our favorites was LeAndria Johnson, a young woman whom you probably caught a glimpse of during the preview commercials before the show aired last night. She came in and shut it down so bad on “This Is The Day That The Lord Has Made.” Folks are already expecting her to lay us all out prostrate in our living rooms during the show’s finalists rounds. All I have to say is that lady is anointed for such a time as this! She is by far one of the best vocalists in the competition right now because there’s so much emotion, conviction and persistence in her voice. Tune in below and you’ll find out what I mean.

She came in and told her story of how she had been through so much to get there and didn’t look like she was going to slay the judges (or the viewing audiences) the way she did. Johnson was wearing jeans and those flip-flops with socks which immediately caught the attention of everybody’s favorite judge to hate MaryMary’s Tina Campbell. We know by now that she’s the Sunday Best version of American Idol’s Simon Cowell. Interjecting her raw (and potentially rude) comments makes for great television, but if you listen closely, it sounds like she might have had to renege on whatever hilarious comment was about to come out of her mouth after she heard Johnson’s voice and testimony. (Take this as a brief lesson in not speaking or judging people too soon. That might be what you get for putting your mouth on God’s people.)

Nonetheless, Johnson wasn’t the only singer to advance to the next level where each of the finalists will begin competing on the main stage next week. A few really strong contestants came through the audition room including the sweet voiced Tawana and Dathan Thigpen. They each effortlessly killed their renditions of classics like “Jesus Loves Me” and “The Lord’s Prayer.” It was also great to see more male contestants who could really sing make it through to the next round. It spices up the vocals and the direction of the competition since there are so many awesome female singers in the game right now. Let’s hope the fellas make us proud and don’t drop the ball along the way.

There were about a million other audition clips that had us all on the floor in tears. Check out the lady who sang her version of “Can’t Nobody Do Me Like Jesus” to the melody of Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody.” Just wrong!

But it seems like the most interesting (and side-splitting) audition of the night came from Troy Lee. I won’t go into detail for those of you who didn’t tune in, but I was very shocked at his presentation. He looked nothing like how he sounded, but it obviously wasn’t good enough because he didn’t make it to the next round. I know for Tina and the judges that blonde bump and curl Troy rocked didn’t do his big, operatic voice much justice. It was so funny for all the wrong (or right) reasons, but isn’t that what we’ve come to expect from some church folks? I mean, come on, we all know the church is the one place on Earth where everything you’re not supposed to laugh at happens. You just can’t help it sometimes.

Also, congratulations to Funmi from Nigeria for making it into the Sunday Best top 20. Remember she and Kim Burrell engaged in a raw vocal challenge on this season’s premiere episode? I’m curious to see how she holds up with the rest of the contestants.

Check out the video below if you missed any of the musical moments between judges and the contestants from yesterday’s episode.

BET’s Sunday Best season three continues with more high praise, comedy and competition. We’ve got the inside scoop, but of course we want to hear from you, too. If you caught yesterday’s auditions, chime in and post your comments below.

If you caught the show from this week, you’ll know that is was one filled with lots of laughter. With Kim Burrell back in the hot seat as a guest judge, Tina Campbell (of MaryMary) and Donnie McClurkin, there really wasn’t a dull moment. Tina’s critiques of the contestants were cut throat, something fans of the show are saying is a bit crude.

Her biggest concern was the contestants she called “amateurs” who were singing and over-expressing themselves in song with excessive use of the “church hands.”

You’ve seen it time and time again with choirs and singers in your local churches, but it did get out of hand because a few of them looked like they were swatting flies with no fly swatters.

Following your runs is definitely a no-no, but haven’t we seen even Kim Burrell do this before during some her performances?

There were some additional moments that had the 1230AM WDBZ team in stitches. We have just one word – leprechaun. (Tune in below and you will soon be rolling on the floor laughing it up right along with us.) Contestants who showed up for the Philly auditions were truly off the chain. Half of them forgot the words and others were doing way too much in the name of Jesus.

Our priority is supposed to be picking the top vocalists for the show. So far we’re enjoying the rich and raspy tones of our guys David and Da’vaughn and the smooth vocal precision from Bethany who sweetly sang “Troubles of This World.”

These are just two of the five – yes, only five – contestants out of thousand who auditioned in Philadelphia and advanced to the next phase of the competition. Looks like the show still has long way to go to find this season’s Sunday Best. What did you think? Are you rooting for a guy this time around? What male voices stood out to you?

As always, BET’s Sunday Best is back with more high praise, comedy and competition. We’ve got the inside scoop, but we want to hear from you, too. To catch up on the latest episode online, visit BET.com/SundayBest or check out the video below.

Gospel singer/songwriter duo MaryMary are some of the hardest working young ladies in the industry and today, more of that hard work is paying off with their latest business endeavors. You may have heard the buzz that Erica & Tina Campbell (more affectionately known as “The Marys”) have a new book entitled “Be U” which hit stores over the weekend. These two are also hard at work raising growing families while simultaneously creating their followup to their Stellar and Grammy Award-winning album The Sound (Sony/Columbia, 2008).

More than just a faith-based self-help book, together MaryMary has created a very special collection of important antidotes and life lessons for any young Christian (male or female) striving to keep it real and live their life based on the principles of the word of God. The book talks about everything from relationships to dealing with self-esteem issues and embracing the gifts God has placed within you. Everything inside “Be U” has a spirit-led consciousness without being too preachy. Readers and fans of all ages and lifestyles are sure to find something to connect with. We’re sure you’ll be inspired once you get your hands on your own copy, but how about picking up an extra one for someone special in your life, too?

Check out the video below to hear what the ladies have to say about their new book release and how you, too, can simply “Be U.” For more information on MaryMary or to view additional interview footage, visit www.mary-mary.com or check out their YouTube page by visiting YouTube.com/MaryMaryTV.

If you followed the 2009 American Music Awards last night, tucked away between the revealing costumes, the bleeped lyrics, and the colossal embarrassment that was Adam Lambert, gospel duo Mary Mary unobtrusively won Favorite Artist in the Contemporary Inspirational category.

Second AMA for Mary Mary

This is the second time the sisters have won an American Music Award – they also won the Favorite Inspirational/Christian Contemporary Artist Award in 2005. That’s an award each for sisters Erica and Tina Campbell who are Mary Mary.

Mary Mary’s AMA Award One Honor Among Many in 2009

Their latest American Music Award win helps Mary Mary close out 2009 in style. They have already won a Grammy® Award, a Dove Award, an NAACP Image Award and a BET Award for their latest album, The Sound, which has spent 52 weeks on a Billboard chart and is still #10. This is the highest rank for a song that has spent 52 weeks on a chart in the Nielson SoundScan era (since 1992). The Sound peaked at #1 on several of Billboard Christian and Gospel albums charts and was #1 on the Billboard Gospel Album chart for 19 consecutive weeks after its release in October 2008, spending four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top Christian Albums chart.

The 2009 American Music Awards took place at the NOKIA Theatre L.A. on Sunday, November 22nd on ABC. Gospel artists Jeremy Camp, Brandon Heath, and Mary Mary received nominations for Contemporary Inspirational, while Mary Mary was also nominated for Soul/R&B. Other artists nominated who have been covered in this column include: Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Kelly Clarkson, Whitney Houston, and Michael Jackson.